Chronic colitis in children. Signs of colitis in a child, how to recognize and treat intestinal disease in time

Spastic colitis is a functional bowel disease characterized by a violation motor function colon and is manifested by irregular and strong contractions of the muscles of the colon. Occurs against the background of emotional stress and increased sensitivity to food. Another name for the disease is irritable bowel syndrome.

Developing spastic colitis in children against the background of various diseases. This infectious diseases, improper adherence to nutrition and diet, dysbacteriosis, helminthic infestations. The mucous membrane of the large intestine undergoes inflammation, abdominal pain is felt, stool upset, colic, and flatulence occur.

Before making a diagnosis of spastic colitis in children, the treatment of which is strictly prescribed by the doctor, it is necessary to carry out a set of all necessary examinations and diagnostics in the clinic. A doctor who treats spastic colitis in children is called a gastroenterologist. If you go to the hospital to see a specialist in time and carry out the necessary treatment, spastic colitis ends in the child’s recovery.

Symptoms of spastic colitis in children

To determine spastic colitis symptoms in children, you should pay attention to:

  • bloating;
  • pain;
  • stool disorder (this can be either constipation or loose stools);
  • weakness;
  • body temperature is higher than normal;
  • stool contains blood, foam, mucus;
  • dry mucous membrane, skin;

More than 15% of adult patients suffering from colitis had it in early childhood. It is important to identify its symptoms as early as possible and begin treatment.

Speaking about spastic colitis in children, it should be remembered that untreated colitis goes into a chronic stage and torments its owner for a long time frequent manifestations and pain.

In the first couple of days after a baby contracts colitis, the symptoms of the disease are pronounced and difficult to miss. Further, identifying the disease is not easy. Periods of pain and symptoms alternate with for a long time calm in the body.

Moving into the chronic stage, colitis can be identified by the following manifestations:

  • drop in hemoglobin;
  • weight loss;
  • poor sleep;
  • avitaminosis;
  • bad stool - alternating diarrhea with constipation;
  • fatigue and weakness;
  • pain around the navel, bloating, aching pain before defecation and immediately after eating;

Treatment of spastic colitis in children

Colitis in children has a number of complications. Children develop anemia, adhesions and intestinal obstruction, peritonitis, rectal prolapse, changes in the mucous membrane, anal fissures, and pathologies.

The child should be protected from stress and overload - physical, emotional, stress, and contact with harmful irritants should be limited.

Physiotherapy is the most effective and gentle treatment method, ideal for children. Side effects from physical therapy was not observed. Metabolism and blood circulation improve, and a healing effect occurs.

Nutrition for spastic colitis in children

It is important to closely monitor and regulate proper nutrition and the daily routine of a child with colitis.

In accordance with the age of the child, the correct diet is built. Food rich in coarse fibers is prescribed: vegetables, brown bread, cereals. You should not eat fatty foods, spicy, spicy or fried foods.

It is highly recommended to drink medicinal mineral water, definitely not carbonated. Such waters bring the work back to normal. digestive system baby. When the acute process of the disease passes, you can treat the child with physiotherapy, as well as relaxation at medical resorts.

Colitis in a child is an intestinal disease accompanied by inflammatory-dystrophic changes in the organ. In newborns and babies under one year of age, it is diagnosed as enterocolitis, since the inflammatory process simultaneously affects the large and small intestines. In schoolchildren, the pathology affects the organ in isolation, causing its different segments to suffer, and doctors make two diagnoses - colitis and enteritis.

Why do children get colitis?

Intestinal tract disease in children develops for various reasons. The most common provoking factors are:

  • stress;
  • intestinal infections;
  • influence of radiation;
  • heredity;
  • helminthic infestations;
  • violation of nutrition rules;
  • autoimmune disorders;
  • aggravated course of allergies;
  • intolerance to certain foods;
  • underdevelopment of the digestive organs;
  • frequent treatment with antibacterial drugs;
  • living in an unfavorable ecological environment.

In infants, colitis is associated with intestinal dysfunction of an unclear nature.

Clinical features of colitis

The pathological process in the colon in children is widespread and limited to one/several segments. Based on these features, colitis is divided into such varieties as:

  1. proctitis (rectum);
  2. typhlitis (damage to the cecum);
  3. typhlocolitis (blind and ascending parts);
  4. transversite (transverse colon segment);
  5. sigmoiditis (sigmoid colon);
  6. proctosigmoiditis (straight and sigmoid sections);
  7. pancolitis (generalized inflammation);
  8. angulitis (junction of the transverse colon with the descending colon).

According to the nature of the course, colitis is acute and chronic, and according to severity - mild, moderate and severe. Based on morphological and endoscopic data, the type of disease is determined as catarrhal, ulcerative, atrophic. According to the type of course, the pathology is classified as monotonous, recurrent, latent and progressive colitis.

The main clinical forms diagnosed in young patients are acute and chronic colitis, spastic colitis, ulcerative nonspecific colitis.

Acute colitis caused by infections occurs with all the signs of toxicosis:

  • vomit;
  • weakness;
  • sudden weight loss;
  • temperature increase.

Pain from intestinal spasm radiates to the ileal region. During bowel movements, rectal prolapse is sometimes observed.

Symptoms of pathology are easy to recognize by stool - it comes out watery and foamy, has a greenish color, bloody streaks or mucous inclusions. The frequency of the urge to defecate increases from 4 to 5 times to 15 trips to the toilet in one day.

Other symptoms of infectious colitis are dry mucous membranes, decreased skin turgor, and pointed facial features.

With a prolonged course, colitis is manifested by stool disorders: both constipation or diarrhea, and alternating abnormalities. Defecation becomes more frequent up to 7 p.m. per day. Faeces are passed of different nature and consistency:

  • liquid masses;
  • "sheep balls";
  • ribbon-like thick masses;
  • defecation products with mucous inclusions or remnants of undigested food.

In case of constipation with subsequent passage of hard feces, the symptoms are complemented by red blood in the stool, leaked due to a fissure in the anus. Chronically current colitis causes rumbling in the intestines, bloating and increased gas formation. Psychovegetative disorders in children include headache, weakness, irritability, and sleep problems. Colitis affects the health of an infant by anemia, retarded growth and weight gain, and hypovitaminosis.

In the spastic form of colitis, the symptoms of the disease will be as follows:

  1. weakness;
  2. abdominal pain and bloating;
  3. temperature increase;
  4. disturbance of stool with the release of mucus, blood, foam;
  5. excessive dryness of the skin and drying out of the mucous membranes.

Diagnostic measures for colitis

An accurate diagnosis is made based on an external examination of a sick child by a gastroenterologist and data from examinations performed. Valuable information about the condition of the intestines during colitis can be obtained by such types of studies as:

  1. sigmoidoscopy;
  2. irrigography;
  3. colonoscopy;
  4. rectoscopy;
  5. endoscopic biopsy;
  6. barium passage radiography;
  7. blood test showing decreased levels of electrolytes and red cells, hypoalbuminemia;
  8. stool scatology to identify leukocytes, amilorrhea, steatorrhea, creatorrhoea;
  9. analysis of defecation products for dysbacteriosis and its bacteriological examination.

Prolonged colitis requires differentiation from intestinal dyskinesia, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, enteritis, and latent appendicitis.

How to improve bowel function

Treatment of colitis requires an integrated approach. Children are transferred to the Pevzner diet (table No. 4), the principles of which include a complete abstinence from dairy foods and a predominance of protein products in the diet. To strengthen the immune system, newborns are given rosehip decoctions. Artificial animals are fed pureed food, steamed or boiled. Dishes are not salted. Children are given broths that are not rich, fish and cottage cheese are not fatty. It is useful for older children to eat berry jelly made from cherries and blueberries (the dessert has astringent properties).

Drug treatment consists of several groups of drugs:

  • antihistamines – Suprastin, Fenistil, Diazolin;
  • enzymes – Digestal, Mexaza, Abomin;
  • antibiotics – Sulfasalazine, Mexaform, Erythromycin;
  • probiotics – Bifikol, Intestopan, Bifidumbacterin, Colibacterin;
  • analgesics, ganglion blockers, anticholinergics - Metacin, Novocaine, Platyfillin;
  • vitamin complexes with substances of groups B, A, PP.

Physiotherapy is indicated for exacerbation of colitis. Dry heat and a heating pad are applied to the child's epigastric zone. In the remission stage, treatment is supported by diathermy, paraffin therapy, and ozokerite.

Often these measures are enough to improve intestinal functions. But if the conservative approach does not produce lasting results, Dr. Komarovsky suggests performing surgery on the child. Its essence consists in excision of the problem segment and fusion of the iliac and rectal sections.

Gastroenterologists around the world are concerned about the sharp increase in the number of inflammatory bowel diseases among child population. Colitis in children has different origins and a variety of clinical signs. A doctor can recognize colitis in a child and distinguish it from other gastrointestinal diseases after a series of tests and a comprehensive examination. Treatment methods for pathology are developed according to an individual plan.

Signs of colitis in a child

Colitis in children is a dysfunction of the colon mucosa due to inflammation. The disease is detected in children starting from infancy. Intestinal colitis begins with an acute inflammatory reaction.

Signs of acute colitis in children:

  • high temperature, weakness, dehydration;
  • nausea, vomiting;
  • frequent episodes of diarrhea – up to 10-15 times a day;
  • watery greenish feces foaming;
  • painful stomach;
  • urge to go to the toilet without voiding.

In the absence of treatment of the acute process or in case of improper treatment, the disease passes into the chronic stage. Chronic colitis occurs with alternating phases of exacerbation and temporary remission.

Symptoms of chronic colitis in a child are:

  • pain in the center of the abdomen, right and left. Intensifies after eating, with the urge to defecate, with movement;
  • alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation;
  • Diarrhea occurs up to 7 times a day. Blood, mucus, and undigested food particles are found in liquid stool;
  • constipation in children is accompanied by the release of dense lumps of feces, leading to the formation of an anal fissure;
  • distension, bloating, rumbling in the stomach;
  • increased gas formation;
  • fatigue, light sleep.


Colitis is a disease that affects children of all ages - from infants to teenagers. A feature of the disease in infants is the transition of inflammation from the mucous membrane of the colon to the small intestine (enterocolitis) and even to the stomach (gastroenterocolitis). In adolescents, separate inflammation of the large and small intestines occurs.

Types of colitis in children

IN childhood Various forms of the disease develop. Based on the location of the affected segment, types of intestinal colitis in children are distinguished:

  • right-sided localization, when the cecum is inflamed. Abdominal pain in the right iliac region;
  • left-sided inflammation involving the sigmoid and rectum. One of the manifestations is It's a dull pain in the left iliac lobe of the abdomen;
  • transversitis is characterized by pain in the navel, which in children is a symptom of damage to the transverse part of the colon;
  • if the entire thick section is sick, total colitis is diagnosed.

During an endoscopic examination of a child’s intestines during an exacerbation, the stages of the inflammatory reaction are revealed:

  • At the beginning of an exacerbation of colitis, inflammation occurs. The swollen, reddened internal lumen of the intestine releases a transparent mucous exudate;
  • then superficial small lesions (erosions) form on the mucous membrane, affecting nearby capillaries. This is an erosive type of inflammation;
  • As they deepen and expand, erosions turn into ulcers. Ulcerative intestinal lesions are classified as a separate type of disease - ulcerative colitis;
  • worsening of the disease leads to fibrinous colitis. Dead, necrotic lesions are found on the mucous membrane, medium and large vessels are destroyed.

The nature of the disease is both smooth and wavy, with sharp changes from remission to exacerbation. The severity varies from mild and moderate to severe.

Why does colitis occur in a child?

The causes of colitis in children have a fairly impressive list. The origins of the disease are divided according to the type of infectious agent, the age of the child, living and nutritional conditions, and innate qualities.

Infectious, invasive lesion


The acute form of the disease occurs from infection:

  • coli infection in children (Escherichia coli);
  • salmonella;
  • dysentery;
  • shigella;
  • clostridia due to abuse of antibacterial drugs;
  • rotavirus infection, which is especially severe in newborns;
  • worms (roundworms, pinworms), lamblia.

A baby can become infected from an adult who is asymptomatically carrying the infection. Thus, rotavirus is excreted in breast milk and saliva. Rotavirus was found in 20% of childcare workers in their feces.

Non-communicable causes of the disease

Other culprits of inflammation in the large intestine in children are:

  • hypersensitivity, which provokes allergic colitis in children. Artificially fed babies often suffer from allergies. Allergic colitis in infants is caused by casein. In addition to specific intestinal symptoms, it manifests itself as a skin rash, itching, weeping crusts in the skin folds (on the elbows, behind the knees);
  • long-term treatment with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial;
  • systematic eating disorders associated with skipping meals, eating processed foods, fast food, snacks, and highly carbonated drinks;
  • exposure to radiation, toxic substances;
  • congenital and acquired metabolic disorders;
  • neuropsychic stress;
  • pathologies of development of the digestive organs.

The causes of intestinal disease can overlap each other, complicating the course of the disease. Let's say a child is artificial feeding with a tendency to allergies caught rotavirus. Teenagers, in addition to their passion for fast food, begin to try alcohol and tobacco products.

How to distinguish colitis from other diseases

The course of the inflammatory process of the large intestine has external resemblance with other diseases. When diagnosing, it is necessary to exclude such pathologies as:

  • wheat protein intolerance, cystic fibrosis;
  • Crohn's disease;
  • changes in intestinal motor function;
  • enteritis, gastritis;
  • diverticulosis.


Diagnosis of the disease is based on taking a medical history, taking blood, stool, and urine tests. A scatological examination of stool shows the presence of blood and mucus. Analysis of stool for dysbacteriosis will reveal the pathogen and the degree of imbalance of the intestinal microflora. Sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and irrigoscopy are performed to clarify the nature and location of the disorders. Takes biological material for microscopy.

How to treat colitis in children

The main principles of treatment of colitis in children include:

  • elimination of the infectious agent;
  • replenishment of lost fluid due to diarrhea;
  • normalization of stool;
  • restoration of intestinal motility;
  • prevention of exacerbation.

The pathogen is combated with antibiotics, sulfonamides, and nitrofuran drugs. The doctor prescribes potent medications, individually determining the dose, frequency of administration and course of treatment.

To restore the water-electrolyte balance, Regidron, Gastrolit, and Oralit are used. The product powder is diluted in a liter of warm boiled water and given to drink throughout the day. You can give your baby water, weak chamomile tea, or compote. A packet of Smecta dissolved in 100 ml of boiled water will help stop diarrhea.

Intestinal dysbiosis can be treated with probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are preparations with live dried bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Prebiotics are a nutrient medium for beneficial bacteria– inulin, fiber, starches. Combined products with prebiotics and probiotics are called symbiotics.


Nutrition for colitis in a child

The diet is prescribed depending on the child’s age, type of diet, stage of the disease, and severity of symptoms. Babies need to continue breastfeeding for as long as possible.

For artificial drinkers, select a mixture with complete hydrolysis of milk protein from the series:

  • Nutrilon Pepti Gastro, Amino Acids;
  • Similac GA 1;
  • Nestle Nan 1 Hypoallergenic;
  • Hipp Combiotik.

The nutritional features of older children include the preparation of boiled, pureed soups, porridges, vegetable and fruit purees. The menu includes mucous infusions based on rice, semolina, oatmeal, and fruit jelly. The dishes are served pleasantly warm, with meals served in small portions but often.

Nutrition for nonspecific ulcerative colitis should contain a sufficient amount of protein foods. The source of animal protein will be steamed meatballs made from lean beef, rabbit, chicken, and lean white fish.

The list of prohibited foods includes fatty, spicy, pickled, and smoked foods. You should not give your child sweets, chocolate, fresh baked goods, rich cream pies and cakes. Drinks include soda, strong coffee and tea, kvass, milk, and cocoa.

Prevention of childhood colitis

Preventing the development of a disease is much easier than dealing with its consequences. Prevention of colitis in children consists of a set of measures:

  • prolonged breastfeeding;
  • introduction of complementary foods in consultation with the pediatrician;
  • balanced on the main nutrients diet;
  • maintaining a diet;
  • age-appropriate physical activity;
  • wet cleaning in the child’s room, ventilation;
  • hand and body hygiene;
  • drinking boiled water, thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables
  • treatment of the initial stages of gastrointestinal diseases;
  • regular medical examinations with the implementation of medical recommendations.


Parents, using preventive methods, protect their child from health problems in the long term. A healthy baby develops quickly both intellectually and physically. The student successfully masters the program, does not miss classes due to illness, and can play any sport.

Colitis in a child occurs as it progresses to the chronic stage. A sick baby swears, eats poorly, and is capricious. A doctor can make an accurate diagnosis based on the results of the examination. Treatment is based on antibacterial therapy and normalization of intestinal function. Prevention of colitis consists of healthy eating, following the doctor’s advice on caring for the child.

The information on our website is provided by qualified doctors and is for informational purposes only. Don't self-medicate! Be sure to consult a specialist!

Gastroenterologist, professor, doctor of medical sciences. Prescribes diagnostics and carries out treatment. Expert of the group for the study of inflammatory diseases. Author of more than 300 scientific papers.

The cause of chronic colitis may be advanced acute colitis in a child. In addition, the disease can develop:

The inflammatory process of the intestinal mucosa can be provoked by psychogenic factors, the presence of vegetative-vascular dystonia in a child, hereditary predisposition, congenital features of intestinal development, physical inactivity, bad habits(in teenagers).

Secondary colitis in a child can occur as a result of endocrine diseases or diseases of the central nervous system.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this disease are characterized by an uneven course, acute periods are replaced by a state of remission.

The main manifestation of the disease is pain in the abdomen and problems with stool. Combat syndrome is localized in the navel, left or right iliac region; It is characterized by an aching character, occurs after eating food, intensifies with movements or before defecation.

Problems with stool in those suffering from colitis are expressed by diarrhea, constipation, and their alternation. Often there is a frequent urge to defecate (up to 5-7 times a day) with the release of stool of varying consistency. Constant constipation in a child with further passage of hard feces can lead to the appearance of cracks in the anus and the presence of a small amount of scarlet blood in the stool.

Distinctive signs are: bloated stomach, rumbling in the intestines, increased gas formation. It happens that the clinical picture of such a disease is dominated by psychovegetative disorders: fatigue, weakness, irritability, insomnia, headaches.

Diagnosis of chronic colitis in a child

To diagnose intestinal inflammation in a child, it is necessary to carry out the following series of examinations:

  • Coprological examination of feces.
  • Examination of stool for the presence of dysbacteriosis.
  • Examination of stool for the presence of lactose deficiency.
  • Ultrasound of the abdominal organs.
  • Colonoscopy is the name given to examining the intestines using an endoscope.
  • Performing sigmoidoscopy, examining the rectum with an endoscope.
  • X-ray of the intestine with barium.

Complications

Long-term colitis can lead to a delay in weight gain and growth in a child, the development of iron deficiency and hypovitaminosis. As a result, weakness and a state of constant fatigue appear. Colitis contributes to the development of hypovitaminosis and visual impairment.

Chronic colitis can develop into an ulcerative form.

Treatment

What can you do

If you periodically observe your child having problems with bowel movements, he complains of abdominal pain, he has no appetite, he is weak and lethargic, it’s time to show him to the doctor. Self-medication of your baby is fraught with serious consequences, and at least will not bring the desired effect.

The only thing you can do is adjust your diet. The child should only be offered:

  • freshly prepared food,
  • 4-5 times fractional meals in small portions,
  • exclude too cold or too hot, spicy, fried foods, fast food products.

But even a therapeutic diet does not cancel a visit to a pediatric gastroenterologist.

What does a doctor do

The doctor, after studying the history of the disease, symptoms, nature (consistency and frequency) of stool, familiarizing himself with the test results, examines the patient, palpating the abdomen.

After clarifying the clinical picture of the disease, the doctor prescribes drug treatment, which is carried out against the background of a therapeutic diet, during which foods that irritate the intestinal mucosa should be excluded.

During the treatment of chronic stage colitis, a child is prescribed the following:

  • enzyme medicines,
  • enterosorbents,
  • probiotics and prebiotics,
  • prokinetics.

Antibiotic treatment is indicated in accordance with the strict prescriptions of the attending physician. Effective treatment Childhood colitis in the chronic phase involves the use of non-carbonated mineral water, compositions brewed from herbs. If the need arises, IRT, physiotherapy, abdominal massage, and therapeutic exercises are carried out during therapy.

Complex therapy for inflammation of the intestinal mucosa shows effective results.

Surgical treatment of this intestinal disease is not provided, since the disease is characterized by a benign course and requires only conservative treatment.

Prevention

Chronic colitis can be prevented if the acute course of the disease is not started. In addition, it is recommended to monitor the diet of the child, especially those susceptible to intestinal diseases and problems with bowel movements.

Of no small importance is compliance with hygienic and sanitary standards, healthy image life, moderate physical activity.

Preventive measures for colitis regarding the infectious nature of the disease consist, first of all, in the timely isolation of a sick child from healthy ones, in the disinfection of his bed and underwear. It is required to carry out a sanitary and bacteriological examination in order to determine the cause of the disease. If even a single case of the disease is detected in children's team measures need to be taken to improve hygiene standards, monitor the cleanliness of linen, clean the premises, introduce individual pots, and strengthen control over food. It is necessary to combat bacilli-transmitters and use vaccination to prevent the disease.

The pathology occurs with severe pain, dyspeptic disorders, persistent changes in stool and general malaise. Treatment of colitis in children depends on the pathogenesis of the disease and includes a whole therapeutic complex: symptomatic and antibacterial treatment, diet therapy, herbal medicine and normalization of intestinal microflora.

Classification

Inflammatory-dystrophic changes in the large intestine can be limited, that is, they are localized within one or several segments, and widespread.

In this regard, the following are highlighted:

  • typhlitis - isolated inflammation of the cecum;
  • typhlocolitis - inflammation of the ascending and cecum;
  • transversitis - inflammation of the transverse colon;
  • angulitis - inflammation of the transverse colon and descending colon;
  • sigmoiditis - inflammation of the sigmoid colon;
  • proctosigmoiditis - inflammation of the sigmoid and rectum;
  • Proctitis is inflammation of the rectum.

Depending on the cause of the disease, colitis can be:

According to the nature of the disease, colitis can be progressive, recurrent and latent. Based on the severity of the disease, mild, moderate and severe colitis can be distinguished. According to the clinical condition, the disease can be acute or chronic.

Cause of colitis in children

Colitis in children occurs for the following reasons:

  • bacterial and viral infections: E. coli, salmonella, clostridia, etc.;
  • congenital pathologies of the digestive organs;
  • helminthic infestations;
  • heredity;
  • autoimmune diseases;
  • tendency to allergic reactions;
  • food poisoning;
  • severe nutritional disorders: early introduction of complementary foods, replacement breast milk and milk formula with whole milk, etc.;
  • frequently repeated antibiotic therapy;
  • unfavorable state of the environment;
  • stress factors.

Symptoms

Symptoms of colitis in children in acute form manifest themselves in the form of nausea, weakness and elevated temperature bodies. The child complains of abdominal pain. Bowel movements occur up to 15 times a day. The stool is watery, greenish, mixed with blood. Symptoms of colitis in infants can be complicated by rectal prolapse and dehydration.

Symptoms of colitis in children in chronic form can worsen and subside depending on the phase of the disease and recovery. The dominant symptoms of colitis in a child are abdominal pain, bowel problems such as diarrhea and constipation. In some cases, there is a deterioration in the baby’s general well-being, exhaustion nervous system, headaches and chronic fatigue. Colitis can also cause lack of body weight, anemia and vitamin deficiency.

Diagnostics

To find out how to treat colitis in a child, you need to conduct the following laboratory and instrumental studies:

  1. Blood chemistry. The presence of colitis can be indicated by a decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood, and an increase in ESR.
  2. Analysis of stool for the presence of leukocytes and pathogenic flora (staphylococcus, candida, etc.).
  3. Intestinal endoscopy. Allows you to identify the form of the disease.
  4. X-ray of the intestines. It is carried out to clarify the clinical picture of the disease and the severity of the inflammatory process.

Features of the course of the disease in childhood

The clinical picture and causes of this disease in children differ significantly from adults, so the symptoms and treatment of intestinal colitis in children will be different.

Acute intestinal colitis in a child, the symptoms of which last more than two weeks, in case of ineffective treatment passes into the stage of chronic colitis. This condition is dangerous due to complications, for example, peritonitis, the development of adhesions, chronic diarrhea and much more. Therefore, treatment of symptoms of colitis in children should begin from the first days of the disease.

Acute colitis is most dangerous for children under one year of age. Allergic colitis is more common in infants, which develops in response to a certain type of allergen - lactose, medication, a separate strain of bacteria, etc. It is important to identify the allergen and eliminate it completely. Otherwise, colitis in infants often leads to dehydration of the body against the background of repeated vomiting and diarrhea, followed by the development of seizures and even the death of the child.

Treatment

Treatment of symptoms of colitis in children is aimed at destroying pathogenic intestinal flora and restoring its function.

Drug treatment of symptoms of colitis in a child is carried out using the following drugs:

  • antibiotics - Enteroseptol, Erythromycin, Mexaform: course of treatment 7-10 days;
  • enzyme agents - Mezim, Pancreatin, Panzinorm: course of treatment from 2 to 4 weeks;
  • analgesics and anticholinergics - Atropine, Novocaine, Platiphylline;
  • probiotics - Bifidumbacterin, Colibacterin;
  • astringent and enveloping preparations, adsorbents - bismuth, starch, chamomile;
  • antiallergic drugs - Suprastin, Fenistil;
  • vitamins A, B, PP.


Physiotherapeutic treatment of symptoms of colitis in children is prescribed during the period of remission. This can be treatment with paraffin, ozokerite and diathermy. If the symptoms of intestinal colitis in a child worsen, the doctor may recommend dry heat to the epigastric zone.

Surgical treatment is performed in extreme cases. The essence of the operation: subtotal removal of the affected part of the colon, followed by the formation of a connection between the ileum and rectum.

Rehabilitation after treatment

During the period of remission, the following treatment and preventive measures are indicated:

  1. Breathing exercises, physical therapy, abdominal massage.
  2. Spa treatment.
  3. Prescription of preventive courses of probiotics and enzymes.
  4. Exemption from physical education and exams.

Forecast

Provided timely and successful treatment of the symptoms of colitis in children, as well as after full rehabilitation, the acute form of the disease ends in recovery.

In the chronic form of colitis, strict adherence to the regimen recommended by the doctor guarantees long-term remission. If, after treatment of colitis, a child experiences stable remission, after 2 years he is removed from the gastroenterologist’s dispensary register.

Complications

Untreated colitis can cause internal bleeding that threatens the child's life. It can also lead to perforation of the intestinal wall with the subsequent development of peritonitis, appendicitis, intestinal obstruction against the background of adhesions in inflamed tissues, etc. This is why the symptoms of colitis in a child cannot be ignored; at the first signs of the disease you should consult a doctor.

Prevention

Prevention of colitis in a child is primarily aimed at normalizing the diet from the first days of life. It is errors in nutrition that most often become the cause of this disease.

Secondly, it is necessary to prevent any means of contracting intestinal infections. It is important to pay attention to personal hygiene, as well as food selection and handling.

Thirdly, preventive vaccination plays an equally important role in the prevention of colitis in infants and older children.

If, despite the efforts made, it was not possible to avoid the disease, then after treatment of colitis in children it is necessary to carry out secondary prevention, the purpose of which is to prevent relapse of the pathology.

Diet

Symptoms of intestinal colitis in a child require not only drug treatment, but also the prescription of diet therapy. The therapeutic diet for this disease excludes all types of food that can chemically or mechanically injure and irritate the inflamed intestinal mucosa. All food is consumed pureed, at least 5 times a day.

The diet for the treatment of symptoms of intestinal colitis in children does not recommend the consumption of milk and dairy products, legumes and cabbage. Meat, steamed fish and “yesterday’s” are allowed wheat bread. During the period of remission, the diet expands, but in the future you should exclude chilled foods, fermented milk products, sour foods, and limit salt intake.

It is important to remember that any form of colitis is dangerous due to the development of a chronic process with subsequent inflammation of the abdominal cavity and perforation of the intestinal wall. All this is fraught with even greater complications, such as exhaustion of the body, anemia, disruptions in endocrine system. Timely diagnosis and treatment of colitis is very important for a child, since an untreated disease in childhood can cause his suffering and problems with the functioning of the digestive system for the rest of his life.

Useful video about intestinal colitis